Tips for a great ride

Table of contents:

Plan your trip

Get a detailed map of the area you intend to ride in and plan your route.
Get some local knowledge - if you haven't been to the area before, talk to someone who has.
Check the weather forecast - take the right clothes, water and food to be prepared.
Leave details of where you are riding and when you'll be back with someone you trust. Give them a map and your trip itinerary and stick to it as much as possible.
Make sure each rider in your group has a map and knows where the group is headed. Plan rest stops and meeting places in case you get separated. If you do, either go to the designated spot or backtrack to the last place you know your group went, wait, and let them find you. If you're really lost, just wait where you are until someone in your group arrives.

Keep a safe distance between riders. Tailgating cuts down reaction time and leads to accidents. Many tracks in bush areas are single lane and you need to be careful of other riders. Assess the track and take each part at a reasonable speed.
Ride with your headlight on - other riders will see you sooner.
Riding is really hard work. Put back what the bike takes out with plenty of water and food stops during the day. Aim to drink at least one litre per hour, more during hotter weather periods. Hydration backpacks are great for easy access to drinking water whilst riding.

Wear good protective gear - a helmet, eye protection, long sleeved shirt, sturdy pants, gloves and over-the-ankle boots. Specialised riding jackets and pants can help prevent fatigue by fighting the elements, while a chest and back protector, elbow and knee pads can help prevent injury.
Take a lightweight First Aid kit.
Take enough food, clothes and water to get you through the night if you get stuck.
Carry a communications device (Mobile, Satellite-phone or radio).
Use navigation aids (Maps, compass, GPS).

A few days before your trip, check with the person who manages the land you're going to ride on for the latest information about the area or track you plan to use.
Land managers may be local governments, private land owners, or State Government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife or Forestry Plantations Queensland.
You need to check with the land manager if you need a written permit or verbal permission to access the land.
It's also useful to ask about Phytophthora (root rot fungus), track conditions and fire restrictions. Tracks can be closed on a temporary or permanent basis for a number of environmental or safety reasons. These may include a bridge down, extreme fire danger, unusually wet conditions, logging operations and so on. Also, the land manager usually has some idea of 'natural' vehicle stoppers such as washouts and large logs across the track.
If you know before you go, you can make other plans that are safe and environmentally responsible.
If you come across any unexpected hazards on the track - logs, big boulders, washouts - make sure you let the land manager know about them. They don't patrol each part of their patch every day and what they don't know about they can't fix!

Never ride alone. Most tracks in bush areas are kilometres from help. Ride in company so that someone is there to help if things go wrong. The time to enjoy a hard-earned beer is after the ride. Using drugs or alcohol will reduce your skill and probably lead to an accident. If you're taking any medication with vehicle operation warnings, for your own sake, don't ride.